Arcana microcosmi, or, The hid secrets of man's body discovered in an anatomical duel between Aristotle and Galen concerning the parts thereof : as also, by a discovery of the strange and marveilous diseases, symptomes & accidents of man's body : with a refutation of Doctor Brown's Vulgar errors, the Lord Bacon's natural history, and Doctor Harvy's book, De generatione, Comenius, and others : whereto is annexed a letter from Doctor Pr. to the author, and his answer thereto, touching Doctor Harvy's book De Generatione / by A.R.

CHAP. IV.

1. Some without Lungs. 2. Impostumes voided in Vrine. 3. Worms the cause of many diseases. 4. No change of sexes. 5. Giants. 6. Some without livers. 7. Fleshy bladders. 8. Stones, haires, worms, &c. Begot in our Vrine. 9. A woman without a matrix.

I Have read of divers bodies of men without lungs, and I be∣lieve it; for oftentimes the lungs are putrified and corroded with corrupt and acrimonious matter, and wasted with burning heat; but hence it will not follow, that a man can live with∣out lungs any time, seeing the heart stands in need continually of refrigeration; yet some do live a great while with half of the lungs, after the other half is putrified and spit out.

II. I finde that when impostumations and corrupted mat∣ter in the breast cannot be evacuated by spitting, or coughing, or vomiting, or by Phlebotomy, or the stool, it is notwithstan∣ding purged out by urine, naturally, without the help of art; by which we see, how cunning and industrious nature is to help her self, and that she is more carefull to thrust out noxious, then to draw in profitable things, hence sick mens expiration is stronger then their inspiration: and hence also we see that there are many porous and pervious passages unknown to us, which doubtless are in our bodies being alive, which cannot be found being dead, because shut by the cold.

III. I finde that many Physitians are mistaken in the cau∣ses of divers diseases, and therefore their remedies prove of∣tentimes fruitless, or hurtfull: For I have known Ap••plexies, Convulsions, Coughs, Consumptions, Feavers, Cholicks, and other Diseases proceed from Wormes, which when they have beene voided, either dead or alive,

the sick partys have recovered: Nay, I have read of some who have had worms crawle out at their navels: and some whose organs of voice and speech having been assaulted and hurt by worms, have become speechless; how carefull then should we be of our diets, not to delight so much as we do in sweet meats, sauces, and drinks, or in such food as breeds sl••my matter, whereof worms are ingendred: and Physitians should be as carefull to prescribe such things to their patients, as may kill and evacuate these enemies of our health and life.

IV. That maids have become boyes, I have read in divers Stories: but I have shewed in the former Book, that there is no such change in nature, because the organs of generation in the two sexes, differ, both in number, form, and situation: and that therefore such transformations are meant of Hermaphrodites, or of such boyes, in whom the vessels of generation have not at first appeared outwardly for want of heat and strength, which afterwards have thrust them out. Dr. Brown admits the change, and yet shews that the vessels are different, both in form and situation, which is a contradiction.

V. That there have been Giants, and men of stupendious stature in all ages, is not to be doubted, seeing there are so ma∣ny witnesses extant: and the reason of their bigness can be none else, but the aboundance of seed and menstruous blood of which they are begot, the quality and pliableness of the matter, ••apt to be extended, the strength also of the heat and formative power: and that these men should have rapacious stomachs to devour incredible quantities of meat and drink, is not to be wondred at, if we consider the bulk of their bo∣dies, the capacity of their stomachs, and rapacity of their heat.

VI. Nature is not deficient in necessaries, nor abundant in superfluities, there is not any one member in our bodies that can be spared; for if there be any one defective, our life proves short and miserable. I have read of some who have been found without Livers, but such had a fleshy lump in stead thereof, which not being able to sanguifie, or turn the Chy∣lus into blood, the parties lived but a short while, and died of Tympanies or Hydropsies; and others whose Livers have been found full of stones, have died of the same disease; and so have those whose spleen hath been found stony. A woman who died of an Hydropsie, I saw dissected, whose spleen was full of stones, of a blewish and green colour.

VII. Not onely are stones of great bigness bred in the blad∣der,

by which the passage of the urine is intercepted, and so death and many tortures are procured; but also there have been found in some bladders, great lumps of flesh, yea all the internal side of the bladder filled up with fleshy excrescences, that there could be no room for the urine; but I doubt whe∣ther this were true flesh or not, seeing no flesh is begot but of blood; I think therefore that this was an excrementitious sub∣stance res••mbling flesh in colour and shape.

VIII. It is manifest that some with their urine evacuate stones, gravel, matter, hairs, little crawling creatures of di∣vers shapes, which doubtless are begotten of putrifaction, ac∣cording to the disposition of the matter, and heat of the blad∣der, or kidneys; if the matter be adust and b••rned, hairs are begot sometimes as big as hogs brissles: and sometimes the stones of the kidneys are so big that they stick in the yard, and cannot be evacuated without incision; upon the stoppage of the urine by these stones, malignant vapours ascend from the corrupted urine into the noble parts, that convulsions, syn∣copes, and other dangerous effects are procreated.

IX. As a man can live without testicles, so can a woman, without the matrix, these being members given by natur•• not for conversation of the individuals, but for continuation of the species: Therefore Zacu••u•• speaks of a woman who lived thirty years after her matrix was cut out; which by a fall that she had from a high tree, had slipt out of its place, and could never be again replaced. Obs. 76. l. 2.